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Repurchases of company stock, mostly under the safe harbor exemption from market manipulation provided by SEC Rule 10b-18, set an all time record of $366 billion (net) in 2005. This was 260% of levels in 2004 and 880% of buybacks in 2002.

Despite extremely aggressive tactics of corporate management to manipulate stock prices upwards and give value to option and bonus plans, stock prices rose only about 3% in 2005, on average.

The greedy appetites of corporate executives are insatiable. Financial gluttony is a deadly sin.

Executive financial gluttony is a deadly sin

Federal Reserve national flow of funds accounts of corporate equities (Table F 213) show why stock buybacks were less effective in boosting prices than in the past:

1. Individuals (US Households) sold, on balance, $501.1 billion in equities in 2005 — mostly executives cashing in on option remuneration plans. This was a record sell-out, twice the level of 2004. Obviously, direct holders of equities did not have as optimistic an outlook for equity prices as did Wall Street touts.
2. Foreign corporations sold a record net $137.5 billion of new issues into the US market, taking advantage of the over-pricing of US equities engendered by buyback programs. Over-valued stocks mean lower capital costs to companies that are building for the future.

Meanwhile, as executives used stock buybacks to pay themselves, they continued to short-change long-term investors. Cash dividends fell to the lowest level in five years: $234.8 billion.

Not surprisingly, Wall Street firms with special 10b-18 departments reported record profits in 2005.

Long-term, unsophisticated investors, trusting to mutual funds through 401(k) and other tax deferred retirement plans, continued unaware of the massive looting of their savings.

See: Essays on Stock Buybacks and Options, while the SEC looked away, even encouraging this type of market manipulation.